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Randy Moss: Zero catches vs. DeAngelo Hall

By
Barry Svrluga

A week after the Redskins allowed Philadelphia touchdowns on its first five possessions, the Tennessee Titans didn't score an offensive touchdown in Washington's 19-16 overtime win. One factor in that: cornerback DeAngelo Hall's coverage of receiver Randy Moss, the former Patriot and Viking who played his second game for Tennessee Sunday - and had no catches.

Moss's lack of production came against a Redskins secondary that was without starting cornerback Carlos Rogers and strong safety LaRon Landry because of injuries. Hall, though, said one factor in Moss being a non-factor was, apparently, the Titans' game plan.

"We felt like they were going to take a lot more shots," Hall said. "It wasn't like they threw the ball to him 15 times and he had zero catches. They might have thrown it [to him] three or four times."

Officially, Tennessee quarterbacks Vince Young and Rusty Smith targeted Moss three times. But he nearly had a huge play. On fourth down near the end of the third quarter in a game tied at 13 apiece, Smith dropped back from the Washington 36 and looked for Moss on the left side. Moss caught the ball - but not before pushing off on Hall, drawing an offensive pass interference penalty that negated what would have been a touchdown.

Nate Washington was the primary target, catching five passes for 117 yards against a Redskins secondary that, for a brief period when Hall was out with an injury, had Phillip Buchanon and Byron Westbrook as its cornerbacks. Yet the Titans still couldn't find Moss.

"For those guys to really not utilize him like we anticipated, it was a little bit of a wrinkle that we didn't expect," Hall said. "But at the same time, I guess they ran what they felt they were comfortable with."

I thought that the offensive play calling was much more creative in this game than in most of our other games. The shovel pass to Moss, getting Fred Davis and Banks involved in the offense, the varied screen passes, and more variety in the running game all contributed to longer drives and converted third downs. This is the sort of offense I expected all along from the Shanahans. Where has it been before now? Let's hope it continues.

"Vince tore a flexor tendon in his thumb and I was not satisfied with his ability to control the ball so I stayed with Rusty," Fisher said. "He never said to me he was okay and wanted to go back in, and I was told he was a little upset after, and I was also told he threw half his uniform in the stands.

"Clearly that is no way to respond, so we have some things we have to sort out with him. He may need surgery, and if that's the case, he is done for the year. If that's the case, Rusty is our guy."

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